


Absent Shadows

by TheDistantSun



Category: Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons), Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-27 05:43:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21387055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDistantSun/pseuds/TheDistantSun
Summary: Starfire can’t believe her eyes when Robin sends her his resignation from the team, in fact she doesn’t believe it all. As she investigates Robin’s disappearance, she considers his similarities with his father and in the chaos, she meets a fellow traveller to this strange planet she calls home. Whilst they learn about each other, she seeks his experience when falling in love with both Earth and more specifically men from a certain family.
Relationships: Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson/Koriand'r
Comments: 1
Kudos: 56
Collections: DCU Big Bang 2019





	Absent Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written in a hard time in my life but thank you for the ongoing support of the Big Bang creators who helped me to finally finish this. My partner was Huntress79 who created the below art for my story. Thank you for your support as well. I hope you enjoy this story.

Starfire wasn’t exactly the one who expect to be called in an emergency, she tended to find herself following Robin when he picked up signals various members, either their own or more recently, from the League. It wasn't that she didn't want to be relied upon; it was just that she was comfortable in her role within the team. Robin was usually on top of things and keeping an eye on where everybody was. She knew that these routines came from his days with Batman and that he had never really learnt how to overcome obsessive, yet admittedly helpful tendencies which he had adopted. So, Starfire learnt to stay by his side and watch over him as he worked rather than interrupt and unsettle him.

  
She had never met the Batman herself, but she had heard about him. Whenever something went wrong or even when Robin found himself frustrated with his own strategies then his father's name was rarely far from the room. Through this, she had learnt much about the strange man. In fact, she had learned that many humans found him to be as much of an oddity as she did. She couldn't understand how he preferred to spend his days alone in a cold cave underground when so many wished to be in his company. She herself much preferred to be in the company of others in order to learn about each new thing she found on this strange planet she had made her home. The Batman appeared to be different, still learning about the world from his deep investigations but tending to keep the results to himself and reviewing them in solitude. Starfire couldn't understand what the point was of investigating this world, just to keep it to himself. However, The Batman was a great figure and she would not, to the best of her ability, judge him for the life he chose to lead.  
She knew it was strange, quite how often she found herself musing on the behaviours of this man she had never met. Yet she found herself fascinated by the man who raised the boy she had fallen in love with. There is no doubt in her mind he had tried his best to raise Robin and that he adored the boy. But she did pick up on tension between the two men now that Robin had grown. It was a natural progression of things, when a son grew to be a man. Their ideas have developed and started to move away from each other’s. Robin never spoke of the specific event which had driven them apart, but Starfire knew one day he might feel comfortable enough speak with her about such deeply personal things. Until that day, she was happy to listen to whatever Robin was willing to offer.

  
“Star! It’s pizza time! Cyborg’s ahead of us.” Beastboy’s head popped into her room as he made his way past, heading toward their living room. 

  
“And Robin?” She asked, looking up to the door and tilting her head slightly as she spoke. The rest of the team were not aware of the situation? 

  
“He’s set up the screen on his room again. Probably obsessing over Slade like normal, you know what he’s like. Come on, Cy is already eating!” 

  
The response answered her question yet unsettled her further. Why did Beastboy think he was in his room if he was in fact…  
“I shall, also not be joining you. Silkie has the sickness so I must remain here and care for him.”

  
“Our little Bumgorf is sick?!” 

  
“He will be healthy soon, I have obtained medicine and I will look after him very carefully.” She attempted to reassure him before smiling. “Please, continue with the consuming of pizza, I shall come and join later.”

  
“Alright, but if you need any help, you call me okay?” He replied, running into the room and giving Silkie a little kiss on the top of his head and tucking him further into the blankets before he resumed his path to the living room.

  
When the room became silent once more, except for Silkie’s rustlings, Starfire looked back down at her communicator. The last message it showed lingered on the screen, still as shocking as when she had first received it. She had never thought that Robin would be this callous, even if one day he did decide to leave the team. There had been no warning and no discussion of any worries, besides the usual, that Robin may have had. Even if Robin has been that unhappy, Starfire hoped that he would come to her or failing that, that she would have picked up on his darkened emotions. But there had been nothing. 

  
She decided to investigate. Without Robin’s knowledge she had managed to decode the lock on his door and though she had told herself to never use it she felt now it may be the only way to get some truth about the situation. She felt guilty as she snuck through the tower, both for deceiving the other titans and for betraying Robin’s trust. Her best judgment told her that she should consult Raven Cyborg and Beast Boy about the message, however she could not face the possibility that the message may be true and what it would do to her friends. So, she decided as she approached Robin’s room, that she would check if there was any evidence that Robin had indeed decided to leave them. If she found his clothes and belongings to be missing, she knew that she would go after him and attempt to change his mind. But if everything was in place and there was in fact no indication Robin had planned to leave then it would confirm her suspicions that this was indeed a cry for help. 

  
As she opened the door, she failed to notice the small red dot flashing just to her left as she passed into the rest of the room. But what she did notice was that nothing in the room was out of place. His uniforms were hung up just as they always were, and his belongings were in their places with his latest project sprawled out on the desk. This did not look like a man who planned to leave them, at least not of his own volition.   
The team had quickly moved into action, pizza forgotten and joking pushed aside. It reassured Starfire to no end that they had taken the same view she had about the worrying message. Although she was told off for not telling them sooner, they understood her worries about whether the message had indeed been true and quickly moved on to planning their next move. Raven, arguably the most sensible of them all, quickly suggested contacting Batman. The others were understandably a little nervous about contacting the brooding member League at first. However, after much deliberation they agreed that this had to be done. What they hadn’t been expecting was the message they got in return. 

  
Batman have never been there to be particularly forthcoming with communication however when the message returned instructing them to never use the channel again, they were unsurprisingly shocked. Starfire was the first to speak stating what all the others have been thinking, that something had gone very wrong with not only Robin but Batman as well. In fact, her first theory was that they were together and in need of help but were unable to get across this message.

  
The group had just started thinking about alternative plans when a strange announcement distracted them from the discussion. The Titans tower have been connected to the League’s own system since its construction. In fact, it very rarely showed anyone else except the five of them and occasionally their lesser known sixth member entering the building. The announcement of a new name caught them very much off guard.

  
_‘02 Batman’_

  
The announcement of the arrival of their leader’s father and founding member of the Justice League would normally have been a reasonably odd occurrence. But after the message they had just received it was even more so. As they looked at each other, they hoped that this was purely Batman’s way of replying to the message and that his previous response had been implying they shouldn’t broadcast the current situation over the air. They quickly moved down to transportation room to greet Batman and try to explain their concerns for Robin. 

  
“You shouldn't concern yourselves with Robin's current mission. He is working under my command and will be returned upon the mission’s completion.”

  
Batman started without them prompting and in fact his body language gave off a distinct lack of an invitation to reply. He had always been and still was, a strong and foreboding figure but now he was in front of them directly it wasn’t surprising that he was feared by even their strongest opponents. The four of them shifted awkwardly as Batman stared down at them, seemingly expecting an apology. His arms were crossed and he had barely moved since he teleported to the tower. Normally, Starfire wouldn’t question a League member, nor the father of Robin as he stood before them. However, the burning worry within her gave her the strength to step forward. 

  
“His latest message worried us somewhat, it almost seemed as though he was in trouble. It was a very out of character, he never normally leaves without telling us where he's gone or letting us know.” She tried to explain her concerns, but only found Batman's eyes glaring down upon her as she spoke. He didn't move or speak, and she felt the confidence wavering. “I do not wish to undermine you I just wish know that he is safe.”

  
Raven was the first to move, edging closer to Starfire and attempting to take hold of her hand. Starfire looked back at her friend to try and understand what she was doing. Raven wasn’t normally forthcoming when it came to physical contact, so this gesture confused her somewhat. The others looked similarly perplexed but when Raven took hold of Starfire’s hand it became slightly clearer. Batman's expression changed; he observed the girl currently holding on to Starfire’s hand for a couple of seconds and the room fell silent. Batman hand moved to his belt.

  
“Move- “Raven’s actions suddenly became clear, Batman's arm moved, and Starfire was dragged backwards through one of Raven’s dark portals. Once she was clear, Starfire saw the glint of metal Batman have pulled from his belt. She barely knew what to do, she didn't understand why this is happening, but she knew even if Batman was trying to harm them, that they would struggle to do the same. this wasn't purely emotional struggle but also a difference in strength and combat ability. Their team was strong but not complete; they were so young whereas Batman was experienced. To further the problem, Starfire realised as she saw Batman cutting into Cyborg’s arm, Batman was not holding back.

  
“What’s wrong with him man??” Cyborg cried out, transforming his arm into his canon to blast Batman away from him. The others moved into position to try and pin the man down where he fell. Starfire stood frozen to the ground watching them. 

  
“Star!” Beastboy called out, morphing into a snake and wrapping himself around Batman’s arm but quickly being thrown aside. 

  
At the call of the name she jumped into action and summoned as much strength as she could, or rather, as much as she dared and punched Batman across the room away from her friends. As soon as the man collided with the wall, she felt regret course through her. Her intention was never to hurt him, there was clearly something affecting his mind, but she couldn’t allow her friends to be harmed either. She released her fists and carefully approached the slumped man, meaning to check if he was still conscious. But as she got within touching range of him, she was suddenly blocked. Before she had time to realise who it was who got in her way she was thrown back by an explosion. 

  
The others had been thrown back with her and were recovering as she looked up to see exactly who had set off the weapon. She knew it was him before she even saw his face. Years of working alongside him and her recently realised feelings meant that she knew it was Robin before the smoke cleared or he even spoke. But when he finally did, she barely recognised him and the confusion she had felt previously was replaced by terror at the smirk on his face as she looked down the barrel of his weapon.

  
“Robin…?” She could barely speak as she looked up at him, seeing Batman recover behind him and stand up once more. The others remained frozen in place but were yelling at him to stop. Reaching out her hand towards Robin she saw Batman launched into another attack, but her eyes were drawn straight back to Robin. There had to be something she could do, mind control she could break, or technology attached to him that she could remove. “Please, you must not do this!”

  
“…S- “His voice faltered as he spoke, a hint of pain behind the mask as his arm trembled. Starfire reached up toward him with a small amount of hope building within her as she nodded. He knew her, he was strong enough to break free from this. There was nothing on this Earth that could make him hurt his friends, it didn’t matter what it was. Robin was too strong willed and loyal. Just a little more and he would be back with her.   
But it didn’t come, instead there was a cry from across the room and Starfire’s eyes were dragged from Robin’s. Raven was down, her magic dispelling with the sound of shattered glass as she landed. Batman was over her fallen form, arm raised and batarang held up. Her breath caught in her throat before the weapon was brought down and then a scream tore through her body.   
But it wasn’t only her voice.

  
“No!”

  
_‘01 Superman’_

  
Before she even managed to blink, Batman was gone and then as she opened her eyes again, so was Robin. Forcing herself up she shot over toward Raven and wrapped her arms around her, supporting her weight as the boys crawled to their knees and joined them. Together, they watched as a flash of blue and red threw Batman and Robin away from them before stopping in front of them.   
She had never met the leader of the League. Just as with Batman, she had only learnt about Superman through Robin. Powerful and alien, he had always been open about his admiration for the man and spoken many times of battles fought alongside him before he had joined the Titans. It was no secret that Batman and Superman were strong allies, so Robin had always said that Superman was his unofficial second father. As the man stood before them, Starfire quickly realised why so many looked up to him. 

  
“Get out of here, get Raven to safety.” He instructed them, not taking his eyes from where Batman and Robin were climbing to their feet and seemingly planning their next move. When none of them dared to even twitch he repeated his order, throwing a small smile back to them with a reassurance that it would be alright. Robin had always said that he was soft, Starfire mused as she looked at that smile for a couple of moments before following his instructions. Picking Raven up and carefully keeping her in her arms, her head leaning up against Star’s chest, she flew out of the room with Beastboy and Cyborg right behind her. But as they reached the end of the corridor, she heard a soft sound of pain and looked back. There was something else Robin had told her about Batman and Superman’s relationship…

  
“Take her, find somewhere safe. I will join you soon.” She quickly told the others, slipping Raven into Beastboy’s open arms and noting the delicate way he held her. As he carefully adjusted her in his arms, he exchanged a look with Cyborg before nodding.

  
“Be careful, Star…” Cyborg told her, a hand placed on her shoulder as he spoke. She smiled in return before turning and flying back toward the transportation room alone.  
As she entered, a bright green glow was cast over her, not too dissimilar from her own star bolts. Superman was on his knees, seemingly trying to talk to Batman, though that wasn’t the name he used. Robin was waiting behind whilst Batman stood over Superman, a peculiar rock in his outstretched hand and a blank expression on his face.  
“Bruce, this isn’t you! You would never hurt children.” Superman called out to him, though as the rock neared him its glow only grew stronger and he fell back, holding up his arm defensively. “I won’t fight you, not like this- I know you wouldn’t hurt me.”

  
There was a terrifying moment where Batman’s hand moved to force the rock ever closer to Superman, but he hesitated. Robin frowned as he saw Batman’s hand freeze and his eyes squint down at the weakened man. She didn’t know what to do, she was nowhere near as powerful as these men. But she couldn’t do nothing. She wouldn’t let Batman or Robin do something they would regret. If they were freed from whatever control they were under and saw what they had done, she couldn’t bear to think what it would do to them. Robin’s guilt when he had been forced to hurt them by Slade had almost broken him. She would never let that happen again. She would not lose her Robin- 

  
“Superman!” Her star bolt shot the rock from Batman’s hand and it crumbled into dust before it even hit the floor, the only remaining glow in the room, her own. All three of them turned to look at her and Robin was the first to move as Batman and Superman’s stares remained locked together. Her resolve was not as strong with Robin’s attack and she found herself watching as the distance between them decreased rapidly. Bracing for the pain of the attack, she crossed her arms in front of her but was instead hoisted upwards. She may not have been as focused as she would have liked but she knew that the ceiling was much closer than this movement should have allowed. It was only when she opened her eyes that she saw the tunnel of holes running up through the tower floors behind them as Superman flew straight up and out of the building. Robin and Batman looked up, watching them in the air for a second before they disappeared. 

  
“We must go after them!” Starfire immediately started to struggle, trying to escape the arm currently looped around her stomach. It was quickly released but as she shot downwards, she found Superman floating in front of her before she could re-enter the building. He shook his head and gestured down toward the front of the tower where an armoured vehicle was parked. Batman had teleported to the tower, but Robin had not, he must have brought it. A couple of seconds later, the two of them emerged from the front entrance, dropped into the car and sped away. 

  
“Thankfully, your star bolt damaged the transporter along with destroying the Kryptonite.” Superman explained, the warm smile from before returning to his face. “Thank you for that by the way. You were very brave to come back.”

  
Starfire watched as the car left and the two of them floated in the air. Her emotions were in a spiral, she was barely able to keep herself up in the air as the terror of what had just happened ran through her. They were gone and she had no idea where they would even go. After all those nights listening to Robin, she still hadn’t been able to get him back and now she was powerless. He had saved her so many times and now she was helpless, stuck with the image of his pained expression and her name stuttered from his lips. How could she think of herself as brave?  
“We can get them back. Bruce and Dick are not lost to us.” 

  
Looking up at the voice, she saw that Superman’s smile had gone, only to be replaced with a much more familiar look of determination that she had always seen from afar. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently before reaching up to wipe away a tear she hadn’t even known she had shed. As she looked up to meet his eyes, she saw his smile had returned and her cheeks warmed as he spoke.

  
“You’re just as brave as he told me you were.” 

  
The two of them flew together toward Gotham, no doubt where Robin and Batman would be heading to plan their next move. Superman stayed close to her as they travelled to the shadowed city, yet Starfire still felt cold. The Kryptonian was kind and she could see he was watching her carefully, but this wasn’t her partner, or her team. All she had on her mind was Robin. She supposed that she should probably start using Robin’s first name, similarly to how Superman comfortably refered to the Batman as Bruce. However, is still felt like an intrusion, a stretch into personal grounds she had not yet been given permission to enter. She couldn't help but wonder how Superman had made the leap from teammate to partner, especially when it involved a man known for his privacy and strict boundaries. 

  
“Tamaraneans don’t feel the cold, do they? At least not as humans do?” Superman asked, dropping down onto the top of a church tower, one of the more gothic parts of Gotham mixed into vast number of skyscrapers which combined to create the city’s unique skyline. 

  
“That is correct.” She nodded as she joined him, carefully picking her steps across the crumbling stones to approach the edge where Superman stood looking out over the city.  
“Dick mentioned it once. He was worried that he was a burden when your team travelled to Russia.” Superman explained, floating down to perch on the edge of the tower instead, his cape gently fluttering out behind him as he did. 

  
Starfire was slow to join him, feeing nervous at the way they had stopped progress when Robin was still out there and suffering under the control of some unknown enemy. He seemed to notice this and looked back to her with a small smile. She couldn’t quite pinpoint what comforted her about the way he smiled. Maybe it was the fact that he was so powerful or the leader of the League she so admired. Though, the more she observed him, the less it felt like his power was why he put her at ease. There was a certain softness to the man in front of her, even if his physical appearance gave off nothing but the strength he was known for. 

  
“He tells me about your team sometimes, your adventures and all your training.” Superman explained, continuing with a light smile, seemingly waiting for Star to feel more comfortable. “You’re always on his mind, Starfire.”

  
“He is a very good leader…and friend.” Starfire replied immediately, looking across to him sat next to her. It was an instinctive reaction, her tone becoming more insistent than she had intended originally. She bowed her head slightly in apology for the outburst yet, once again, she was only met with a soft smile from the man. 

  
“I know. I’ve watched him grow and I’m very proud of him.” 

  
Starfire hadn’t expected that response. She knew that Robin worked with Superman previously but the way he spoke of him made it sound like much more than just a colleague, almost like a father in his pride. Thinking back, Robin had spoken in a similar way about Superman over the years, talking about him worriedly during battles but also joking about how he’d managed to break a two day ‘Batsulk’ with a smile and plate of eggs and bacon. He also seemed to spend a lot of time up at the manor, but that fit with another thing Robin had told her, that she had been instructed to keep quiet.

  
“We’ll get them back, I promise.” Superman’s voice suddenly turned much more solemn and Starfire nodded, ready to be instructed as to their next plan of attack. She was ready to storm the Batcave if she had to, anything to get Robin back from the grip of control he was caught in. “I’d been tracking Bruce’s movements after he went off grid six hours ago when I saw he was heading up to your tower. It appears that he and Dick went up against Ivy last night. There were remains of her pollen at the scene and having analysed it up at the Tower, it looks like she has created a powerful new strain her mind control chemicals.”

  
Poison Ivy…Starfire’s eyes widened at the information. She was a powerful villain, but Robin hadn’t even mentioned that he would be facing her. Though, if Batman had called him, she had no doubt that he would have gone to him. No matter what he said about moving on, the love and loyalty was still there and if Batman needed backup, he would go no matter the air between them.

  
But that raised other issues, namely, how to rid them of the influence. It had seemed like when Superman had faced Batman, almost hurt by him yet still refusing to fight him, that it had weakened the control it had. Maybe that was the key. Robin had worn the same look when she had faced him. The pain had been obvious, the strained muscles and sweat starting to bead on his forehead as he stared at Starfire, almost willing her to understand his thoughts. 

  
“Do you think we can free them?” She asked carefully, finally looking up at him next to her.

“Robin told me about Poison Ivy, warned us about her.”

  
“She’s definitely dangerous.” Superman agreed with a nod, staring out toward the skyline for a moment, his eyes turning slightly glassy as he did. She thought she had heard about him having some kind of super vision, maybe he was looking for them. Staying quiet, she watched him as he looked out, not wanting to risk distracting him. But she was the one who was suddenly thrown off when Superman dropped his eyes from where they had been focused and spoke again, “You care a great deal about Dick, don’t you?”

  
“He is…my friend, my team mate.” Starfire finally managed to stammer out, hands slipping over each other as she fiddled with her fingers, unsure of how to explain. She cared about Robin more than she could describe with mere words, just like Galfore and as much as it hurt, her sister. But in a different way, he made her feel like she belonged in this strange new world of his. He was the bravest boy she had ever known, and she wanted to protect him just like he had protected her. “You care about Batman too, don’t you?”

  
Superman chuckled at the reply, running his hand through his hair as he leant back on the edge of the building they were perched on. She wasn’t sure if she had overstepped the mark with her question but he didn’t seem to be taking it badly. He wasn’t human though so in a way, he made more sense to her than some of the other friends she had. Though he was raised on Earth, there was still a feeling of otherworldliness about him.

  
“Batman and I…God, how to even start. Bruce is completely different to anyone I have ever known. He drives me absolutely insane with all his trackers and plans and backup plans, his grumpy mornings and strict orders. I swear I’ve been told off by him more often than my own mother. I certainly get checked up on more by him than I ever have been by her or Pa.” 

  
She looked across at him as he spoke, expecting to see anger or frustration on his face whilst explaining all the excessive checks Batman seemed to put him through. Even she had heard of what Batman was like in the League as well as from Robin. He was described as obsessive, bordering on paranoid. Robin had opened up to her about him in the past, but never why he had left specifically, though she had always suspected it had something to do with those tendencies. However, when she looked to Superman now, he was still smiling.

  
“But I wouldn’t be without him.” Her heart picked up at the way his voice changed, soft but so very fond and heartfelt as he made such a powerful statement so easily. “He’s a stubborn idiot who works too hard and worries too much but he cares more than anyone. He’s saved my life more times than I can ever repay and keeps me safe when I’m having my own stubborn moments. He’s smart and brave, the detective reputation is completely true, he can solve anything he puts his mind to. But it’s more than that, Bruce…is softer than even he knows. I’ve seen him tucking Dick in at night when he’s been sick, talking to victims I’ve dragged out of collapsed buildings and holding traumatised children whilst they cry. He was even there when I lost my Dad…He’s the greatest man I’ve ever known and the fact that he’s allowed me, some little, lost alien boy, into his heart, it means the world.”

  
Superman’s confession stunned Starfire and she found herself unable to reply except to stare. But he seemed to understand, and his smile never wavered. He truly loved Batman, didn’t he? Robin had alluded to them being more than colleagues, but this just confirmed it. She wondered why his confession seemed to warm her heart, even though she had only just officially met him. 

  
“Humans are peculiar creatures, aren’t they?” Superman suddenly asked, his gaze falling back down to her.

“I find them to be fascinating but…sometimes, strange in their ways.” She replied honestly, “I want to learn about their world, all their traditions and routines. I am happy they have welcomed me.”

  
“You’re right, they’re a wonderful race of people and I’ve grown to love them and their planet. Not everyone is kind but like you, I’ve been accepted into their world.” Superman continued, “You’ll find that dating a human is its own adventure too.”

  
“But I am not with anyone in that way. I have my friends.” Starfire immediately clarified, shaking her head. Superman looked across to her with somewhat of a knowing smile that she didn’t know how to answer. “I do not wish for you to misunderstand my friendship with Robin, Superman.”

  
“Did I say Dick's name?” He chuckled in response, reaching over and placing a hand on her shoulder as her cheeks burnt red and she hid her face away from him. “And call me Clark, please.” 

  
“Kori...” She whispered back reply, not looking up until she felt the slight squeeze on her shoulder. “ Koriand'r is my true name.” 

  
“That’s a pretty name. You can always call me Kal if you like? I don’t really mind which but I like Kori, it suits you. A little piece of home.” The smile that Superman wore when he told her his name was softer than usual. She tried to return it but found her mind was still clouded. “He feels like home too, doesn’t he?”

  
Once again, she couldn’t find the words to reply but nodded. Superman, Clark...he was right in his suggestion. It was always Robin back at the tower that she thought of when the battle became tough. The feel of his warm arms around her after it all. Even if the tower was destroyed, yet again, then him and their friends...they would be enough. 

  
“Give him time. He feels the same way about you, I’ve seen it for a long while now. But their family, they just need that little extra reassurance that you’re going to stick around. But they’re loyal, more than any I’ve known.” Clark spoke, pushing himself up from the perch and floating out a little over the edge as he seemingly observed the city. “I’ll be here too, if you ever need someone to chat to. After all Kori, we’ve got to stick together if we’re going to take on that family.”  
Starfire watched him float and slowly rose to join him after a short moment of hesitation. But his words stuck with her and she found that she was finally able to smile. It wasn’t huge, not her usual grin and laughter but she did feel a bit better. She wasn’t alone.

Superman, Clark was here with her and understood better than she had realised. It seemed that she wasn’t the only one to fall for a human. But he appeared content with this fact, if not happy. Maybe there was a chance for her and Robin. 

  
“They haven’t gone back to the cave...” Clark said suddenly, snapping her back to the reality of the situation. She stared out at the city and spotted the colossal, green ‘W' on the skyline. Would they have gone there instead? Or would they have gone some place else, to hide from them? She watched as Clark looked down at his wrist for a moment, a similar tiny set of lights and screen appeared there before he gestured up to another large skyscraper. “Bruce has deactivated the tracker but I can still hear his heartbeat, he hasn’t left the city. It seems he hasn’t taken off his watch either...”

  
The small warmth in Clark’s face surprised Starfire as he spoke of a watch. She wasn’t quite sure what the watch meant in terms of tracking them but there was clearly some sentimental element to it so she didn’t question it. The heartbeat point was curious though, was it normal for Kryptonians to listen to heartbeats? But even then, he knew Batman’s in particular and that meaning wasn’t lost on her. 

  
“Can you find them?” She asked carefully, not wanting to put pressure on him but also very eager to know if his super senses lived up to their reputation.   
“Maybe...Bruce and Dick will be fighting back so may leave us clues as well. The heartbeat should get us close enough to search. I’ve been tracking Ivy too, they might well have been ordered to return.”

  
With their plan as formulated as they could make it, they started the flight out toward the skyscraper Clark suspected they were in, dropping down nearby just in case anyone was keeping watch. Starfire reached down to click her communicator off of her belt and lightly pressed the two side buttons, it immediately showed the location of another nearby device. She lifted it to show Clark and saw the smile stretch across his face. It seemed they had found them after all. She floated next to Clark as he searched for a way in after warning her to turn the communicator off in case Robin also played the trick she had demonstrated.

  
“Looks like we’re doing this the Batman way.” He sighed, running his hand back through his hair as he saw the guards and their glowing green eyes down at the entrance. Moving to watch, she saw him look around the side of the building before spotting a seemingly unguarded fire escape. It didn’t take much to ‘persuade’ the lock and they were in. “Though it is nice to have someone who doesn’t tell me off for floating~” 

  
“It is instinctive, it would be difficult to stop it...”

  
“Exactly-!” 

  
The giggle was short but it seemed to amuse Clark enough as he threw her a smile in the darkened corridor. They continued further into the building and Starfire could feel the worry from Clark increasing, though he also kept focused in a way that reminded her distinctly of Robin’s techniques. He had mentioned that Batman had trained him alongside others before, she had a suspicion that Clark may have had a hand in Robin’s training if not his upbringing as well. She could see the way that Clark cared about him, both him and his father. They had to save them...

  
The corridor led up to another room, a little one which led onto what looked like the penthouse. Clark was listening intently and Starfire stayed quiet so not to distract him. After a moment, he nodded toward her and gestured to the door. She braced herself and stayed close to him as he opened the door. When the door opened, Starfire immediately saw Batman and Robin standing facing the other direction and looking up to the main sight in the room. 

  
Poison Ivy was poised up on the wall among a monstrous tangle of vines the size of tree trunks. She sat in a created throne in the centre and looked down upon them with her red curls bouncing as she laughed. Starfire felt a cold weight in her stomach as she met the woman’s eyes. But her attention was drawn back down quickly as Robin shifted, hand moving to his belt to mirror Batman’s. Clark moved as well, hands moving to a defensive position. 

  
“Batman, Robin, we don’t want to fight you-" She heard him speak first but quickly followed.

  
“Robin please, our friends are worried about you...”

  
But there was no reply, only from above them as Poison Ivy ordered them forward. The time moved slower than she had ever known as Robin shot toward her, Batman running toward Superman and both of them flew back to avoid them. Floating in the air for a second, they exchanged a look before flying straight toward Ivy. They got close, managing to force her back into a cocoon like nest of the vines before Batman and Robin caught up. Superman acted first, grabbing both and moving to pull them away from Starfire. Even though it hurt to watch, she knew what she had to do. She allowed her eyes and hands to glow, shooting out star bolts at the cocoon.   
The screech was inhuman and deafening. Starfire buckled back and covered her ears but forced herself carry on as the vines convulsed. They had to get to Ivy-

Behind her, the battle continued which she tried to block out. Superman could handle himself, she had to have faith. So she kept up her relentless attack on the cocoon until Ivy was revealed. She shot toward Starfire and soon the two of them were tangled up as Ivy clawed at her arms and face. Managing to force her off, Starfire threw her down toward the ground causing cracks to appear where she landed.

  
“Superman??” She called out, looking back to see if anything had changed but could still see him struggling with both of them. How was she supposed to fix this? Ideas mixed together in her head as she flew toward them and seized Robin from Superman’s back. Flying straight upwards she held him tight and landed up on a balcony in the room. Robin moved back immediately but Starfire refused to move. She waited to see what he would do and as he approached she threw him back and away. 

  
“Robin...I will not fight you.”

  
He didn’t respond, just stopped and stared at her with an expression Starfire couldn’t read at all. But below her she spotted Clark on his knees again and her heart froze. However, Batman didn’t move toward him this time. He was frozen just like Robin. So Starfire replicated the pose and dropped down to her knees. Both her and Superman then waited. For an agonising length of time, that’s where they stayed, on their knees and refusing to move.

  
Batman was the first to move, hand trembling as he stepped toward Clark. Then suddenly he seized hold of his hair and held him up, Kryptonite batarang to his throat. Both Robin and Starfire watched, Ivy crawling her way toward them as well.

  
“Hold him Batman-" She ordered, pulling herself upwards and limping toward the two. When she was close, she pulled out a small gold object which Starfire saw to be lipstick. But surely...that wouldn’t work? Normally she would have shot down to assist but Superman was immune to those things, she had heard of him getting away from Joker and Scarecrow gases like they were nothing. However the lipstick was green-

  
Superman’s eyes widened and he suddenly tried to move but Batman’s own Kryptonite held him still as she applied the lipstick to herself. Starfire was just jumping up to fly back toward Ivy and get her away from Superman. But Batman got there first. His hand moved to his belt as she lent down to kiss Superman. Within a split second, there was a shocked scream and she was thrown backwards in a cloud of smoke. Silence fell over the room a moment after that and the batarang was removed from Superman’s throat, a hand being offered to him.

  
“That was beyond foolish-" Batman chided, as he pulled Superman up to his feet. But Clark already had a smile on his face as Starfire saw him squeezing Batman’s hand. 

  
“Surrending to you...or her trying to kiss me in front of you?” 

  
“Shut up Superman-"

  
Starfire froze where she was in the air and felt a little smile on her face at the teasing between them. But she quickly remembered the situation and turned back to Robin. Floating out in the air next to the balcony Robin was standing on, she made a split second decision. She flew toward him, took his cheek gently in her hand and pressed their lips together. 

  
Robin’s hand moved to her wrist, the hold tight and painful but after a couple of seconds it relented. His hand moved instead to lay on top of Starfire's hand on his cheek. After a couple of tense but also beautiful moments, they broke apart and their eyes met. Robin’s eyes were back to their usual bright colour even though the mask. But better than that...his smile was back, kind and confident. 

  
“It’s okay now Star...I’m back.”

  
Starfire couldn’t contain herself and threw her arms around him. A couple of seconds later, she felt his arms wrapping around her as well as she floated in happiness and relief. 

  
She had never wanted to let go but she noticed that they were no longer alone as she spotted Batman and Superman standing behind them. Clearly they had been there for longer than she had realised. But it hadn’t mattered. Even as Robin shuffled awkwardly as Batman moved toward them and patted his shoulder, she couldn’t help but smile. She could see the same smile on Clark’s face as he watched them.

  
“Batman and I are going to head home, take Ivy back to her cell on the way.” He explained before placing a hand on her shoulder and looking down toward her. “Are you going to be okay?”

  
“Yes...” Starfire nodded slowly, looking back over toward Dick and Bruce as they spoke. There was a little moment where Dick noticed she was looking though and smiled in a way she had never seen before. “It’s time for us to go home too. Thank you, for everything Superman. Thank you for allowing me into the family..."

  
“You’re very welcome.” Clark smiled before chuckling. “I didn’t need to. Dick asked a very long time ago...there was never a doubt.”

**Author's Note:**

> Link to art:  
https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fimgbox.com%2FysY3mpJF&data=02%7C01%7C%7C9f0f2494a04a422146a308d74a1c9791%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637059358971974750&sdata=DgVxlP7kMFoAZ7BXxcgSCgyvkYN%2B6tEe46w4%2BjswUZ4%3D&reserved=0


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